Pala i Fiori Monica 2018

I had never tasted anything like this before. So floral, so aromatic, and so approachable all at once. Monica is a grape native to the island of Sardinia, and like many island wines it, reminds you of the Mediterranean.

I pick up this glass and smell lavender, myrtle berries, and orange peel. It tastes so distinctive, too: raspberries, boysenberries, and more island wildflowers. A pleasant freshness but a firm, tangy finish. You may as well be on a sailing yacht pulling into the port of Cagliari while you drink this.